Hair-cutting machine



E. B. POWELL.

HAIR CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.I4, 1920.

1,421,350. Patented June 27, 1922.

fra/waar `Ef0ntm Foa/0%.

f v, A further object u N l vprovide i machine of the class 1 described,

UNITED STATES EVERTON PATENT OFFICE.

B. POWELL, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR 0F ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK N. WINDRIDGE, OF CHERRYDALE, VIRGINIA.

HAIR-CUTTING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented une 2'?, 1922-.-

Application sied August `14, iao. seria; No. 403,492.

To all 'whom 'it may cof/wem:

Be it known that I, EVER'roN B. POWELL', a citizen of the United States, and resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hair-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanybe operated b l an electrical motor distant from the mac ine yand connected therewith by a fiexible shaft. This construction has always been open to numerous objections in that flexible shafts produce considerable friction are cumbersome and the machinery for transmitting the motion of the flexible shaft to the cutting blade proper generally imparts a jarring and vibratory sensation to the operator.

Hence with the above and other objections in mind this invention has for one of its objects to provide a hair cutting machine in which the driving or operating mechanism is self-contained within the handle thereof tothus eliminate the flexible shaft,

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the class described which is electrically operated and provided with switch means within the electrical circuit so constructed that the circuit will be closed when the machine is heldby the operator in the normal position yof use, and which circuit will be automatically opened `when the machine is out` vof the operators hands to prevent a careless operator from*4 leavingthe machine ,running when lie places the same upon a support.. i

of l.this invention is lto having solenoids contained within the haiidle thereof. andprovided with an armature l,in connection. with the'cutting bladel for :op-

erating the same. *j ,f

A further I.object of -this invention is to provide a machine of the class described havincr means within `theelectrical circuit opera-le to automatically reverse the ow of current fromfone solenoid to'theother in rapid succession whereby the I'armature will be rapidly reciprocated to operate the cutting blade connected therewith.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a machine of the class described so constructed that the same may be. produced at t-he lowest possible-cost and will be positive and eflicient in operation and having all the parts readily accessible for the purpose of replacement or repairs.

A still further object of this invention is to provide means operable automatically upon the release of the hand operated switch control lever for moving the armature to a position 0H center to insure the positive operation o-f the device when the circuit is closed.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description pro- Y ceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,l I have illustrated one complete example of the phyical embodiment of my invention constructed accor-ding yto the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view part in section and part in elevation "taken longitudinally through the machine on the plane indicated by the line 1 1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a topview of the machine with the cover or jupper portion of thev handle thereof removed;

vseveral views;

Numeral 1 designates. the cover or portion of thel case orhandle of the machineA l the bolt 5 which passes therethrough and by guide pins'7 carried by the front projection 7 of the neck 2.

Slidably mounted on the blade 6 and Acooperating therewith is a movable cutting tact member 24. The contact 24 is at all blade 8 having guide slots 9 therein through which the guide pins 7 pass and a central recess or notch 10 in which the forward end of an operating arm, `to be later described, is pivotally engaged. lThe guide pins 7 pass through the slots 9 and `tend to retain the blade 8 in proper alinement with the blade 6 and at the same time permit the limited reciprocation thereof.

The cover 1 of the handle is provided with spaced downwardly extending transverse projections 11, 12 and 13 between which are mov'ably secured two axially alined solenoids 14l and 15. The solenoids are made of any desired shape, but preferably ob long cross section and have a central slot `or bore 1extending through the iron cores thereof which act as guides for a soft iron plunger or armature 17.

Mounted on one end of the armature or plunger 17 is a plate 18 of non-magnetic `metal such as copper, brass, bronze or the like having a cam slot 19 therein. Medially pivotally mounted on the bolt 5 is a driv# ing arm 20 having the forward end thereof rounded and engaging within the recess 10 of the movable cutting blade and lhaving the rear end thereof positioned under the cam plate 18 and yconnected theretoby a cam roller or pin 21 engaged within the cam slot 19.

Secured to the under side of the arm 20, directly beneath the roller 21, is a non-conducting block 22 having a recess 23 communicating with, the bottom face thereof and in which is mounted one end of a contimes urged outwardly from the recess 23 by an extensile spring 25 within the recess and confined between the contact 24 and the inner end of the recess. Ri idly secured tothe bottom portion 2 in ine `with the block o22, is a second block 26 of non-con* ducting material and provided with contact faces or members 27, 28 and 29, more clearly shown in Figure 4. The block 26 is recessed where the contacts 27, 28 'and 29 are vsecured 'thereto so that the whole will pre'- sent a smooth surface, and said contacts have j downwardly extending lugs provided with screws or other means for forming terminals to which the electric wires', hereinafter described, may be readily secured,

The block 22 is so positioned that its contact member 24 will bear upon the top face of block 26 and be free to slide thereon as arm 20 is moved under the influence of the solenoid and cam slot 19 and roller 21, to alternately bridge the gap between contacts 27 and 29, and 28 and- 29.

Rigidly secured to the portion 2 near the rear end thereof is a third block 30 of nonconducting material having spring clips 31 and 32 secured thereto and forming with the knife or bridge member 33, a switch mechanism. The member 33 is fixed to the inner end of a plurnger rod 34 so that the movement of the plunger rod ltoward the clips 31 and 32 will engage the bridge member therewithto thus close the circuit. The plunger'rod 34 is slidably mounted within a boss or bearing 35 carried by the handle. portion 2 and is at all times normally urged outwardly by an extensile spring 36 confined between the inner end of the yrod and the adjacent portionl ofthe casing wall 2. The spring 36 at all times normally urges the rod 34 outwardly of the casing or lower portion 2 sothat after the rod has been depressed by a'control lever 37 the same will be immediately moved upon the release of said lever vto disengage the knife member 33 .from the contacts 31 and 32 to open the circuit and thus render the machine inoperative.

IMembers 1 and 2 of the handle have registering recess portions 38 and 39 to provide bearing surfaces for the lever 37 which is ivotally held in position by the screw 4.

vhe portion of the lever 37 adjacent its pivot has a stop lug 40 which is engageable with the portion of the handle adjacent the recesses 38 and 39 to limit the movement of 105 the rear parti of the lever away from the handle and consequently retard the outward travelof the plunger 34 upon the action of its spring 36.

The portion 2' of the handle has a recess 110 formed therein near the rear end thereof which is provided with a hard rubber or other non-conducting bushing 42 to revent Wires 43 and 44 which pass theret rough intofthe handlefromfbecoming short cir- 115 cuited on the case. The Wires 43 and 44 lead from any desiredL source of sup ly S and wire 43 is connected directly witii the solev noids 14 and 15. Wire 44 is attached to the clip 31, and clip 32 is' connected to contact 120 member 29 by a wire 45, while members 28 and 27 are connected respectively to solenoids 14 and 1,5 ,by wires 46 and 47.

vThe operation of my machine is briefly as follows:V

When the handle of the machine is gripped, lever 37 is pressed against the handle, moving the plunger 34 inwardly against its spring 36 and engaging the bridge member 33 with the clips 31 and 32 closing the 130 circuit allowing` current to pass to the center contact member 29. Contact 24 carried by the driving arm 2() will always be either bridging from members 29 to 27 or 28 to 29 so that the current will energize either solenoid 14 or 15. 'For example should solenoid 15 be energized, magnetic lines of force will be set up and tend to .draw the plunger or armature 17 therein until equal lengths of thedplunger extend on each side of the soleno1 u As the plunger or armature 17 moves the cam slot 19 will act upon roller 21 and cause the arm to swing on its pivot, imparting to the ends of said arm a side to side reciprocation. .This movement of the inner end of the arm 20 will alternately cause contact member 25 to bridge contacts 27 and 29,'and 28 and 29 to energize and deenergize the solenoids 14 and 15 in rapid succession. Immediately upon solenoid 15 being deenergized, solenoid 14 is energized and the lines of force set up in solenoid 14 will draw the plunger or armature 17 to a position so that equal lengths thereof will project on each side of solenoid 14, when solenoid 15 will be again energized and solenoid 14 deenergized.

Cam slot 19 regulates the travel of the plunger or armature 17 so that it will at no time 'reach the desired position and therefore always bein position to be acted upon by either solenoid 14 or 15. As the arm 20 is rapidly rocked on its pivot by the plunger or armature 17 through the medium of the cam slot 19 and roller 21, the movable blade 8 will be rapidly reciprocated on the fixed i blade 6 to cut or shear the particles which may be blades.

In order to insure against a possibility of the armature 17 being on dead center when the lever 37 is depressed, I provide means carried thereby for automatically moving the armature to a position off center immepassed between the teeth 48 of said diately upon the release of said lever. To.

accomplish this feature, a projection or lug 49 is formed on the inner end of the lever 37 and extends into the casingto lengage the inner end of the armature when the'V lever 37 is released in the event that the armature should be at any point between dead center and its innermost position. When the lever is depressed against the machine handle, the lug 49 will be at the end of travel of the armature and therefore will not interfere with the operation of the same. As the handle is released the lug 49 will force the armature back and thus prevent its stopping on dead center or ina position so that the current will not flow when the handle 37 is again depressed.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing character appertains that I provide a machine in which the operating mechanism is self-contained and which will form its functions in the most efiicient manner and which is so designed that immediately upon the hand of the operator being disengaged from the handleof the machine the electrical circuit will be opened and the machine rendered inoperative whereby damage thereto due to the carelessness of an operator neglecting toclose the circuit of his own acv cord is prevented.

What Iclaim as my invention is:

1. In a device of the class described, a substantially hollow handle member, a movable member mounted at one end thereof, a pair of solenoids disposed within the hollow of the handle and longitudinally aligned therein, an armature slidable within the solenoids and capable of reciprocation longitudinally of the handle upon thek simul ',tween one end of the armature and said working member, whereby reciprocation of said armature wlll reciprocate sald member v at approximately right angles' with respect to the armature, and means positioned adjacent the connection ofthe armature with the movable member for alternately closing and opening an electrical circuit' in quick succession to alternately energize and deenergize the solenoid.

3. In a device of the classI described, a workingl member mounted for reciprocal movement, a driving arm therefor having one end connected therewith, a solenoid, the axis of the solenoid being disposed at substantially right angles with respect to the plane of movement of said member, an armature mounted in the solenoid for reciprocal movement, a drive connection between one end of said armature and drivingi arm, an electrical circuit connected with the solenoid, and means within the circuit for rapidly alternately closing and opening the circuit to alternately energize and deenergize the solenoid whereby the armature will be rapidly reciprocated to operate said member through said driving arm.

4. In a device of the class described, a substantially hollow handle of substantially oval shape in transverse section, a movable member carried by said handle, a pair of aligned solenoids longitudinally disposed in said handle, said solenoids being substantially oval shape in transverse section and having longitudinally aligned elongated cores, a substantially flat armature slidably mounted in the cores of said solenoids, a connection between one end of said armature ,a movable member, and means for simultaneously alternately energizing one solenoid and deenergizing another in'rapid succession to cause the Varmature to be rapidly reciprocated and operate said movable member by reason of its connection therewith.

5. In a device of the class described,- a substantially hollow handle, a reciprocally mounted member, a medially pivoted driving arm having' its forward end connected withsaid member, axially alined solenoids secured within thehandle, an armature for the solenoids, a( connection between the armature and the rear end of the driving arm, and means for simultaneously alternately energizing one solenoid 4and deenergizing another in rapid succession to cause the armature to be rapidly reciprocated and rock said driving army on its pivot to operate the said member.

6. In a device of the class described, a substantially hollow handle, .a movable member, a medially pivoted driving arm having its forward end connected with said member, laxially alined solenoids secured within the handle, an armature for the solenoids, a connection between the armature and the rear end of the driving arm and including a cam pin carried by the rear end of the driving arm and engaging in a cam slot 'carried by said armature, and means 'for simultaneously alternately energizing one solenoid and deenergizing another in quick succession to cause the armature to be rapidly reoiprocated and rock said driving arm on its pivot to operate said member.

7. In a device of the class described, a movable member means for operating said member including a solenoid, an armature cooperating therewith, a drive connection between said member and armature and means for alternately energizing and deenergizing the solenoid, a lever adapted upon compression to close a circuit to operate the device, and means operable upon the release of said lever to automatically move the armature from a position on dead center so that the same will be in 'place to be operated again.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

EvERToN B. POWELL. 

